


Five Times Jade Saved Tori and One Time Tori Saved Jade

by Zivicio



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: 5 and 1, Enemies to Friends, F/F, Jori Friendship, kinda gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:15:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zivicio/pseuds/Zivicio
Summary: “Vega,” She said gruffly to get Tori’s attention. When she had it, she sighed gently before raising an arm to the side, allowing Tori to promptly close the distance between them and bury her face in Jade’s shoulder. Jade rubbed her back, cringing when Tori shuddered underneath her hand and took in a shaky breath.orA look into some of the moments of growth for Jade and Tori's friendship.
Relationships: Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 10
Kudos: 388





	Five Times Jade Saved Tori and One Time Tori Saved Jade

Jade took another sip of her drink as her eyes scanned the room. She almost glossed over it, but her eyes jumped back, and she slowly put her glass back on the table as she eyed the scene. There was a girl, with a guy standing next to her - but the girl was leaning away from him, and her shoulders curled in on herself protectively. Jade watched as nothing changed for a solid minute before sighing and rolling her eyes.

“Is he bothering you?” Jade asked, strolling up to the other side of the girl.

“I’m not bothering her!” The guy immediately said defensively, “We were hanging out!”

Jade looked at the girl - oh fuck, it was Tori, how about that - “Do you want him here?”

Tori grimaced, but was unable to be anything but honest. “No,” she groaned.

“Leave.” Jade immediately looked back at the guy, glaring at him. He took a cautious step back, but didn’t leave entirely.

“Oh come on now, a guy can’t try to meet a nice girl?”

“She’s not interested,” Jade replied easily, her voice as menacing as Tori had ever seen it.

“Well I can’t see why not- don’t knock it ‘til you try it, huh?” The guy grinned. Jade put her hand on the back of Tori’s chair, gripping it so tightly her knuckles whitened. Tori swallowed uncomfortably between them.

“She’s not  _ interested  _ because she’s seeing someone  _ else _ ,” Jade ground out impatiently. Could this guy just take a fucking hint already?

“Well I don’t see him,” The guy grinned, and leant against the bartop.

“You don’t see _ him _ because you’re looking at  _ her _ ,” Jade spat. It seemed that desperate times called for desperate measures. Her hand moved to Tori’s outer shoulder, and she moved up so that there was no space in between them.

The guy’s expression changed instantly, but he remained persistent, “Yeah right, there’s no way a girl that pretty-”

Jade turned Tori’s chair to her and kissed her, pulling no punches. Her free hand went to Tori’s cheek, her fingers on the other digging into Tori’s shoulder. On Tori’s behalf, she covered her surprise easily - perks of being an actress - her hands went to Jade’s waist, before one moved up to tangle in her hair. Within seconds Tori opened her mouth a little, to Jade’s surprise, though she didn’t waste the opportunity.

Behind Tori, Jade vaguely heard the douchebag spit “dykes” and walk away, so she pulled away a moment later.

“Come on,” Jade said without waiting, grabbing Tori’s wrist and pulling her behind her, outside of Nozu’s.

Once outside and on the side of the building, Jade dropped Tori’s wrist and spun around.

“Are you okay?” She asked. Tori stood stock still, her eyes a little wide.

“Uh… yeah. Wow.” She said after a moment.

“Sorry about that. I was running out of options,” Jade spoke. Her voice was gentler than Tori had ever heard it before.

“It’s okay.” Tori took a breath, “Thank you. Seriously.”

Jade shrugged, “Part of being a girl. You have a ride home?”

“Well-” Tori checked her phone before grimacing, “Not for another two hours.”

Jade huffed, but said, “Did you want one?”

“If you don’t mind?” Tori asked sheepishly. Jade didn’t mind, not really, but she rolled her eyes anyway.

“Come on, Vega, let’s get out of here.”

When Tori still felt funny, half an hour later when Jade was long gone, well, she blamed it on the adrenaline rush.

(She ignored the fact that Jade kissing her had felt better than any boy she’d ever kissed in the past, and if she did think about it she told herself it was just because she was scared, and grateful.)

* * *

Tori moved with the music, adrenaline and dopamine running through her like every other night the gang went out and got a little too rowdy. She danced to the pop song and Cat’s voice blaring over the speakers loud enough that you had to shout in order to be heard, squeezing through bodies slowly, dancing as she went to the bar to grab a drink (non-alcoholic, of course). She was in the middle of taking a few steps backwards when there was a step in the floor that her foot landed on wrong, and before she knew it she was falling backwards.

She never made it to the floor. Instead, she was caught against the figure of someone else, who staggered as they caught her, but caught her regardless- and Tori nearly choked when she looked up to a familiar face.

“Watch it, Vega,” Jade said, though her voice was not unkind. Tori blushed as Jade helped her stand back upright.

She didn’t know if Jade could tell her heart was hammering in her chest, but Tori was sure she saw the blush on her face.

“Thank you,” Tori said, though she may as well have mouthed it due to the noise. Jade’s fingers - they were a bit chilly, Tori noticed - remained on her arms for a moment before she stepped away.

“You okay?” Jade eyed her weirdly, looking for something wrong.

“Yeah,” Tori chuckled nervously, stepping into Jade’s space a little so that she could be heard better, “just didn’t know that step was there.” The place they were at was new, new enough that Tori didn’t know the layout and could hardly remember the name.

Jade looked at Tori oddly, faintly raising an eyebrow before shrugging.

“Okay.”

Jade walked away before she did something stupid, like try to enter a conversation. (When she was snappy the next day, it was definitely not because she was irritated that she couldn’t stop thinking about Vega’s stupid blush and quiet thanks.)

* * *

Jade only just barely noticed it out of the corner of her eye- something was off about Vega. Her eyebrows raised of their own accord as she observed, surprised that no one was saying anything to her. She rolled her eyes and shut her locker - loud enough to make a few people flinch - and strolled over to Tori.

Tori opened her mouth to get out a greeting, but was cut off as Jade swiftly took her wrist and pulled her over to the janitor’s closet.

“Hey?” Tori said warily as Jade shut the door behind them. Jade said nothing, dumping her bag off her shoulder before shrugging out of the flannel she was wearing, leaving her in a low cut tank top.

Tori choked, “Uh, what-”

“Tie this around your waist.” Jade held it out to Tori, who accepted it and did as told, though she was brimming with questions. Jade didn’t bother to say anything, instead she picked her bag back up and rummaged through a side pocket until she pulled out a tampon and handed it to Tori, whose eyes went wide.

“Go to the bathroom and use this. You can keep the shirt for the rest of the day.” Jade’s voice was cold, and her expression disinterested, but there she was, saving Tori from a lot of embarrassment.

Tori gaped at her, trying to wrap her head around the situation.

“Get, before I remember how much I like that shirt,” Jade said harshly, opening the door. Tori blinked and hurried out with a quick ‘thank you’ thrown over her shoulder.

Jade took a deep sigh. It was gonna be a long day of boys leering at her chest.

(The next day, when she found her shirt tucked into one of the pairs of scissors on her locker along with a little note that said ‘thank you’ with a smiley face, a soft smile appeared on her face. She would never say it out loud, but it had been worth it.)

* * *

Jade was not having a good day. She had gotten into a fight over something stupid with her parents again, leaving the house that morning late and pissed off. She hadn’t been able to get coffee because she had a test in first period she couldn’t be late for. So when she saw Vega at her locker she almost turned around to find a different way to go, but 45 degrees in she saw something that made her stop.

Vega’s expression, and the tones of the voices coming from her direction. She looked shocked, and a bit hurt, and the voices coming from the people she was talking to were harsh and quick. Jade planned on standing there and watching it happen, but it appeared her body had different ideas as she was already taking steps toward them.

When Jade’s brain caught up with her feet she only got more pissed off - she couldn’t turn back now, she had to do something.

“Hey!” She barked, making the entire hallway fall silent. Vega looked up at her with a crestfallen look and Jade felt another pulse of anger, her hands clenched into fists- how dare they upset her- her-

“Leave!” She yelled after a moment, making the group disperse hurriedly and the people watching scurry to turn back to their lockers.

It was silent between the two before Tori opened her mouth to speak hesitantly.

“I-” she began before stopping, unsure of what to say. Jade merely huffed, her fists still clenched, and walked away.

Tori watched her go, all too aware that Jade had never stood up for her like that before.

* * *

Jade stalked through the mostly empty halls- she was supposed to be in class, but she had left because something had annoyed her and she didn’t want to get in trouble for assault at the moment. She stood in front of the vending machine, debating on making a purchase, when two voices caught her attention.

“No, dude, I’m telling you, it’s fine. Tori’ll have no idea,” One of the voices said. Good thing Jade already had her phone in her hand - upon hearing Vega’s name she immediately started taking a video, keeping her camera at the ground as she stayed still. The voices approached with accompanying footsteps.

“Dude, you saw what she did to Ryder Daniels. She ruined him,” The second voice replied. Jade slipped around to press her back against the side of the vending machine, hoping that they would walk past without noticing her.

“Yeah, well, I’m not Ryder, now am I? I don’t have a reputation, so there’s no way she’ll find out. I’ll get the A and be done with it, easy.” The two boys walked right past Jade, who held her phone up to capture footage of the two walking away from her. It wasn’t their faces, but it was better than nothing.

Later that day, when Jade say Vega smiling and laughing with the jerk who Jade had caught on camera, Jade knew she would have to pay her a visit that evening.

She felt cold.

But she showed up anyway, pounding harshly on Vega’s door despite the weird feeling in her throat. There was silence from inside before quiet murmuring and ‘just a sec!’ before the door swung open to reveal exactly who she was looking for.

“Jade?” Tori asked as Jade brushed past her, though she stopped three steps later when she saw the company Vega had over.

“Oh, even better,” Jade said coldly. Tori closed the front door and looked between the two curiously.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” Tori asked nicely, if hesitantly.

“Watch this,” Jade said gruffly as she pressed something on her phone and held it up to Tori before returning her glare to the bewildered douchebag at Vega’s kitchen table.

“ _ ‘-telling you, it’s fine. Tori’ll have no idea.’ _

_ ‘Dude, you saw what she did to Ryder Daniels. She ruined him.’ _

_ ‘Yeah, well, I’m not Ryder, now am I? I don’t have a reputation, so there’s no way she’ll find out. I’ll get the A and be done with it, easy.’ _ ”

The voices played out from her tinny phone speaker as the boy’s expression turned wide-eyed and afraid. Tori gently took Jade’s phone from her hand, holding it closer as she played the video again- Jade let it slide, keeping her glare on the boy, who was slowly getting out of his seat.

“Tori-” He began, making her look up at him with the most heartbroken eyes Jade had ever seen on her.

“Get out.” Jade ground out, clenching her jaw so hard she wouldn’t be surprised it she cracked a molar. The guy didn’t need to be told twice, speed walking to the exit and practically flinging himself out the door.

Tori - for some reason Jade couldn’t think of her as ‘Vega’ in this moment - sat down on the couch gingerly, Jade’s phone still in her hands. Jade watched as she stared at the screen until it dimmed out.

“I’m sorry,” Jade said finally, breaking the silence.

“No, it’s okay- I’m glad you showed me this,” Tori replied, looking up and holding Jade’s phone out to return. Jade took it and pocketed it with a grim smile.

“That’s not what I’m apologizing for,” Jade said carefully. Tori’s lips twitched in a tiny smile before she looked back at the ground. Jade stood for a few more agonizingly awkward seconds before Tori spoke again.

“I just… what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just… have someone nice interested in me? And not what I can do for them?” Tori asked sadly, sitting back and putting a hand in her hair. Jade awkwardly took a step over and sat on the other end of the couch, though with Tori’s weird couches that meant there was only about a foot between them.

“Nothing’s wrong with you. Boys are assholes,” Jade answered seriously. Tori huffed with a brief amusement and shook her head. Her head tilted back to rest on the back of the couch and she stared at the ceiling. Jade looked around the room for about a minute before she broke.

“Vega,” She said gruffly to get Tori’s attention. When she had it, she sighed gently before raising an arm to the side, allowing Tori to promptly close the distance between them and bury her face in Jade’s shoulder. Jade rubbed her back, cringing when Tori shuddered underneath her hand and took in a shaky breath.

After a few minutes of that, Jade forcing back her discomfort with the contact and situation, she gently pushed Tori away from her.

“Give me your phone,” Jade said. To her surprise, it didn’t look like Tori had shed more than a few tears. This sadness was more hollow, she supposed.

“What?” Tori asked confused.

“Give me your phone,” Jade repeated. Tori relented easily, handing it over- Jade opened up a new post on the Slap and attached the video she had texted Tori not a minute ago.

“What do you want to say?” Jade handed the phone back over. Tori sat back and pulled her legs up, crossing them, and rested her elbows on her thighs.

(Jade did  _ not  _ notice the way she bit her lip in thought.)

Jade left shortly after Tori had successfully exposed the jerk to the internet, leaving with an awkward pat on Tori’s back and a little of the light returned to Tori’s eyes.

They didn’t speak about it again.

* * *

When they graduated, the group got together at Tori’s place to celebrate. Jade felt… good. She looked around and saw her friends - people she actually considered friends now, instead of just the people she tolerated - and she felt good. She looked over at Beck, who was talking about something with Robbie, and smiled. They hadn’t worked out, but remained close friends, and they found it was better that way, after some adjusting. They were both happier now than they had been in a while.

Jade moved her gaze elsewhere, looking for someone else. It seemed she was being searched for as well, as Tori approached her with a smile.

“Hey you. What are you doing over here by yourself?” Tori asked, referring to the way Jade was in a quiet corner in the kitchen.

“Just thinking,” Jade replied, actually looking Tori in the eyes for once.

“Oh yeah? What about?” Tori chanced asking, since Jade seemed to be in a good mood.

Jade paused, tilted her head back as she deliberated how to word her thoughts.

“You. Us,” She settled on. Tori cocked her head curiously, encouraging her to elaborate.

“A lot has changed over the past three years. I’ve changed,” Jade said. She shifted, minorly uncomfortable with being so frank about her feelings, but continued on.

“And… I think a lot of that is thanks to you.”

Tori blinked, processing the words that she just heard Jade say.

“Somehow, you’ve changed the way I operate, the way I feel things, the way I treat people. It’s because of you that I opened up, that I’m still friends with Beck, that I consider everyone in this room a friend now instead of just someone I tolerate for the sake of having somewhere to be.” Jade drummed her fingers on the glass she was holding nervously.

“I think… without you, I wouldn’t have gotten this far. I would be bitter and alone still. You showed me that it’s good to have people I can open up to, that I can’t do everything alone - that I don’t need to. And I’m a better, happier person because of that.”

Jade took a breath and forced the rest of her words out, trying not to focus on the stupid look on Tori’s face.

“I think… I think you saved me, Tori Vega. Thank you.”

Jade bit her lip and looked up at Tori a bit shyly. Tori had tears in her eyes, and a smile on her face - she held her arms out to Jade, who huffed but stepped into her friend’s hug.

“I’m so happy I could do that for you, Jade,” Tori said, her voice a little strained.

“Yeah, well, don’t flatter yourself,” Jade deflected, but patted Tori’s back.

When Jade looked at her phone to see that Cat had texted her a photo of her and Tori’s hug, she smiled. And if she made it her phone’s wallpaper, so that she could feel that again each time she looked at it - well, no one had to know.


End file.
